The first thing I read each morning at work is the online edition of the Early Bird, the daily collection of defense-related press clippings put out by the Department of Defense.
If you read only the Wall Street Journal, say, or the Washington Post, you might think you’re getting objective, unbiased coverage of the news. But it’s instructive to view headlines and introductory news article paragraphs from different sources, grouped together for easy comparison, as they often are in the Early Bird. Here, for example, is an interesting juxtaposition of viewpoints posing as “news”:
CURRENT NEWS
EARLY BIRD
March 30, 2004DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
21. Pentagon Blasts Air Force Contract For Boeing Tankers (Wall Street Journal)…Andy Pasztor
The Pentagon’s inspector general, lambasting some Air Force acquisition procedures, dealt a potentially crippling blow to Boeing Co.’s controversial plans to quickly provide air-refueling tankers to the military. In a briefing to congressional staffers yesterday, Inspector General Joseph Schmitz and his staff summarized the conclusions of a report that criticizes the Air Force for relying on “an inappropriate procurement strategy” for the tankers, along with failing to use “prudent acquisition procedures,” comply fully with five federal statutes and falling short of adequately protecting taxpayers.22. Pentagon Favors Boeing Deal
(Washington Post)…Unattributed
The Pentagon’s inspector general said there is “no compelling eason” to block an Air Force plan to acquire 100 air refueling tankers from Boeing, despite significant questions about the deal.